The Novel; a Sublime Anachronism?

I stole a portion of that title from the WSJ review of Mark Helprin’s In Sunlight and Shadow which is referenced in this article by Gordon Crovitz called How the Internet Saved the Novel, but it’s fitting based on the substance of that article. Generally I enjoy articles by Gordon Crovitz, this one . . . not so much. In the article Mr. Crovitz begins by quoting Verne’s prediction that the novel would fall out of favor then makes the case that the exact opposite has occurred.

“The death of the novel has often been declared over the years. In 1902, Jules Verne predicted novels "will be supplanted altogether by the daily newspaper," which would "color everyday events" so that readers wouldn't need well-crafted fiction to fire their imaginations. But a century later the form endures.”

Next Crovitz quotes Helprin’s book at great length, so much so that this reader started to wonder just how much Helprin paid Crovitz for this homage. Beyond the quotes was this passage which gets back to the meat that I wanted to dine on.

“Engaging with a novel written like this—whether through print or e-book—requires rare focus in our information-snacking lives.”

There is a significant difference between reading a novel and reading the daily texts, messages, emails, articles and other detritus that crowd our daily lives around computers and tablets. It requires more thought and dedication to be sure, but also more resilience. It's a great point, but I found that mixing the quotes from Helprin's novel, which require a certain type of reading, with the point-making that usually goes into an article like this was off-putting but provided a perfect demonstration of the point Crovitz was making.

“The more time people spend tracking fleeting pixels on digital screens, the more they seem to yearn for something else. The well-crafted novel is more alive than ever.”

I was eager to read this article when I saw the title, sadly Mr. Crovitz left a lot on the table in lieu of praise for Helprin’s book which based on the review I saw last week will remain on my “Probably Aint Going to Read List.”